Water for People Gets Support in Northwest Florida

According to UNICEF, more than 1 billion  people around the world have no access to clean drinking water. An additional 2.6 billion people lack proper sanitation. Employees of American Water, the largest investor-owner water and wastewater utility company in the United States, are working to change that by donating to Water for People. With operations in Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, India and Malawi, Water for People — formed in 1991 by leaders of the American Water Works Association who saw the cause as a social responsibility — helps to provide clean drinking water and sanitary facilities that cut down on disease.

Bringing Pure Water to the World’s Poor By Daniel Mutter Originally published in the June/July 2010 issue of 850 Magazine

According to UNICEF, more than 1 billion  people around the world have no access to clean drinking water. An additional 2.6 billion people lack proper sanitation.

Employees of American Water, the largest investor-owner water and wastewater utility company in the United States, are working to change that by donating to Water for People. With operations in Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, India and Malawi, Water for People — formed in 1991 by leaders of the American Water Works Association who saw the cause as a social responsibility — helps to provide clean drinking water and sanitary facilities that cut down on disease.

Each year, American Water picks one worker to get a firsthand look at the progress the organization has made. Most recently, Pensacola employee Richard Bubien, 28, was selected to represent the company during a tour through Malawi, a small, landlocked nation in southeastern Africa.

“Water is important and something we unfortunately take for granted,” says Bubien, who is a customer-service team supervisor at American Water’s Pensacola call center. “Countries such as Malawi don’t have as much access as we do to safe, clean drinking water. I wanted to participate because I believe everyone should have access to clean, safe drinking water, and I know that my donation that I contribute every month goes to those people, and they do excellent work.”

Besides drilling the wells, Water for People also builds bathrooms or kiosks known as Eco Stans. These are dug about 9 to 10 feet deep and villagers use sand and ash to cover the waste. Once filled, the eco stands are sealed and sit for nine months until the contents turn into compost, which can then be sold to help support the villagers.

“Not only are they (Water for People) providing clean water and sanitation with the latrines, but they’re also encouraging economic development,” Bubien says.

The workers of Water for People also help to educate the villagers who benefit from the newly installed facilities.

“They train certain people within the village on ways to repair the wells and latrines,” Bubien says. “So … it’s up to the village to maintain (the kiosks and pumps).” This way, the villages become self-sufficient.

“We turn on the faucet and brush our teeth in the morning and don’t think twice about it,” Bubien says. “Until you are seeing this firsthand, what people have to do to get water and clean water, you don’t think about it. So I will definitely take that away as the one thing that I have learned — not to take anything, especially water, for granted.”